


Cynic

by DarkShadowRin



Series: Timna Drake [7]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Red Robin (Comics), Robin (Comics)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:34:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28752990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkShadowRin/pseuds/DarkShadowRin
Summary: Tim's naive to Steph's cynical.Steph says that's why their morals clash. Tim's too sheltered.Tim thinks it balances them out. Steph is grounded in a way that she isn't.It shows, huh?
Relationships: Stephanie Brown/Tim Drake
Series: Timna Drake [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2057688
Kudos: 12





	Cynic

**Author's Note:**

> The dialogue is straight out from canon, but I just wanted to add a bit of introspection from Tim's side.

Tim's naive to Steph's cynical.

Steph says that's why their morals clash. Tim's too sheltered.

Tim thinks it balances them out. Steph is grounded in a way that she isn't.

It shows, huh?

"You're actually going to rescue him?" Stephanie calls at her from the side as they run through the rooftops.

"If he isn't dead already, he's going to freeze to death." her response is colder than she intended.

"He was trying to kill us."

Robin grimace, "That doesn't mean letting him die is the right thing to do."

And it all goes back to this. Why Bruce doesn't like her, and why Steph doesn't respect him.

"What Batman and I do isn't all adventure and cheap thrills. There's a commitment never to take the easy way out. Hence, it's not easy." Robin grits out.

"Please. Guys like these have excuses to go back from their infancy. Either they were poor, their mom didn't love them enough, or they didn't have a playstation. I probably came from a similar neighbourhood as him, you don't see me trying to bust into appliance stores and my dad's the Cluemaster." Robin feels Spoiler's gaze on her, "Wake up, boy wonder. When we're all dying, what does one more criminal life matter."

Really. In just every other way, they get each other. Get along and can smile together so effortlessly.

But unfortunately, this aspect seems to be a place neither is going to budge, and it just so happens to practically be the entirety of their relationship. Or at least, this is their foundation.

"Well maybe it matters to me. And I'm here and I can do something so I'll do it. Surely you understand that." If it sounds condescending, well. Robin is too preoccupied to think too much on it.

How many times have they done this circling already?

In all honesty, Tim knows Steph had probably let more than one criminal die.

But that's the thing.

Steph does things on her own time and Tim can't exactly interfere. Tim isn't so naive that she believes she can save everyone. Even at this very second, someone out there is dying but Tim can't do anything about that.

But when she can, when she's here, then she's going to do something. That's always been her creed, if you may.

Tim knows people who kill, for justice or whatever reason, and she can't control their actions or inaction. All she can do, all she'd ever had control over is herself.

Tim isn't responsible for them, but she's responsible for herself. For her actions and inaction.

When she knows she can do something to help, to save, and it's a choice she has to make.

"I don't hound you about this. If you're not gonna help, then leave."

Stephanie scoffs, "Yeah, you do. You and Batman always try to make me give this up."

"I can't speak for Batman but you know that's not my reason. It's because you don't have training and you lack resources and guarantees."

"Oh come on. Even vigilantism you think the rich does it better?"

"Yes, actually. Because rich means you have excess resources beyond absolute necessity. There's more space for error, and more tools to guarantee that there's no error in the first place."

"Yes, well, this is the lot I was given in life. I make do with it. And Spoiler is happening wether you like it or not."

"And what about training?" Robin says pointedly, flipping over a banister.

Because the only real local trainer Gotham has is Batman, and she doesn't think the man will be willing to train Steph anytime soon.

Stephanie sniffs, "It's nothing like being trained by world class assassins, but I get what I can and I apply it and gain more experience."

"Yes, experience is important, but there's no certainty to the adversaries we face. It isn't like level one and then level two and level three. What if you suddenly face a level one hundred when you're only ten?"

"You are such a dork." Steph huffs, "And if it's a level one hundred, I doubt I'd be safer inside my room than out here."

Robin huffs back but can't exactly say she's wrong. Because she's not.

Robin swings to another roof and Stephanie follows despite herself.

(The only variable you can control is yourself. Tim and Steph understands that, in their own ways.)


End file.
